System, method and computer-readable medium to issue an electronic signature in association with a checksum of a document

Abstract

The incorporation of checksum and voice files for off line participants to work in an electronic work space. The electronic signatures, and/or completion of, off line documents enables the contents of off line documents to be stored and processed in the same manner as on line users. The invented process links the process steps of on line participants and offline participants, and additionally meets, in certain preferred embodiments of the method of the present invention, the requirements of one or more industry and/or legal standards for electronic signatures, to include the requirements of assured Integrity, Authenticity, Non-Repudiation and Acceptance.

1 . A method to enable a signer to append an electronic signature to a document, the method comprising: 
 generating a printed document to the signer, the printed document containing characters sensually observable to the signer, the characters representing information;    calculating a checksum, the checksum calculated at least in part from the information;    providing the checksum to the signer;    allowing the signer to examine the characters of the document;    enabling the signer to make an electronic record by means of a voice input;    accepting a first voice input from the signer, the first voice input including a verbalization of the checksum; and    making a first electronic record of the first voice input.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 storing the first electronic record in an electronic database; and    associating the electronic record with the information of the document.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 assigning a serial number to the document;    informing the signer of the serial number;    accepting a second voice input from the signer, the second voice input including a verbalization of the serial number;    making a second electronic record of the second voice input; and    associating the second electronic record with the information of the document.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second electronic record is comprised within the first electronic record.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signer provides the first voice input by means of a telephone.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is comprised within an electronic workflow.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the electronic workflow is at least partly executed by means of the Internet.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printed document is provided to the signer as a faxed communication, and the characters comprise visually observable characters.  
   
   
       9 . In an electronic recording system, the electronic recording system for receiving voice inputs and recording the voice inputs as electronic records, a method for a signer to issue an electronic signature to a document, the method comprising: 
 receiving a printed document, the printed document containing characters sensually observable to the signer, the characters representing information;    receiving a checksum, the checksum calculated at least in part from the information;    confirming the validity of the information by examining the characters of the document; and    issuing a first voice input to the electronic recording system, the first voice input including a verbalization of the checksum.    
   
   
       10 . The method  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 receiving a serial number associated with the document; and    issuing a second voice input to the electronic recording system, the second voice input including a verbalization of the serial number.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the signer provides the voice input to the electronic recording system via a telephone.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method is comprised within an electronic workflow.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic recording system generates an electronic record of the first voice input and the electronic record is available via a computer network.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the printed document is a faxed communication and the characters comprise visually observable characters.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the printed communication is in the format of a death certificate.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the signer is authorized by law to certify a cause of death.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the signer is authorized by law to certify a death certificate.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the printed communication is in the format of a death certificate.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the signer is authorized by law to certify a death certificate.  
   
   
       21 . A system having a computer-readable medium, a computer network, fax systems and telephones, wherein the computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for buffering data, wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method of associating an offline approval of a document by an informant with a checksum, the method comprising: 
 generating a printed document to the signer via transmission from a first fax system to a second fax system, the printed document printed by the second fax system and containing characters sensually observable to the signer, the characters representing information;    calculating a checksum, the checksum calculated at least in part from the information;    providing the checksum to the signer;    allowing the signer to examine the characters of the document;    enabling the signer to make an electronic record by means of a voice input;    accepting a first voice input from the signer via a telephone, the first voice input including a verbalization of the checksum; and    making a first electronic record of the first voice input.    
   
   
       22 . One or more processor readable storage devices having readable code embodied on the processor readable storage devices, the readable code for programming one or more processors one to perform a method of associating an offline approval of a document by an informant with a checksum, the method comprising: 
 generating a printed document to the signer via transmission from a first fax system to a second fax system, the printed document printed by the second fax system and containing characters sensually observable to the signer, the characters representing information;    calculating a checksum, the checksum calculated at least in part from the information;    providing the checksum to the signer;    allowing the signer to examine the characters of the document;    enabling the signer to make an electronic record by means of a voice input;    accepting a first voice input from the signer via a telephone, the first voice input including a verbalization of the checksum; and    making a first electronic record of the first voice input.